


a certain degree of folly (meeting the next remix)

by afrocurl



Series: remixes and such [16]
Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Erik is not a Happy Bunny, Jealousy, M/M, Multi, Protective Erik, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-16 23:36:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8122006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: Erik's mood for this department party is not improved upon by finding out that Jean has a new beau.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [annejumps](https://archiveofourown.org/users/annejumps/gifts).
  * Inspired by [a certain degree of folly](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7246753) by [annejumps](https://archiveofourown.org/users/annejumps/pseuds/annejumps). 
  * In response to a prompt by [annejumps](https://archiveofourown.org/users/annejumps/pseuds/annejumps) in the [xmen_remix_madness2016](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/xmen_remix_madness2016) collection. 



> Anne! I hope you enjoy this.

Erik places his typical scowl on his face when forced to see people he thinks aren’t worthy of his time. Charles is endlessly amused that Erik has this face on for the Psychology Department reception, especially when Jean will be there. They are about to enter the department’s reception at a nice restaurant near campus, and Erik is being irritated and ornery. 

_Oh_ , Charles realizes with a quick look into Erik’s thought process. Usually Charles allows Erik to express himself and doesn’t pry, but with this reception, Erik’s already set to guard himself from conversations about why he’s so busy and why he hasn’t put a ring on Charles’ finger yet. Charles does have the best boyfriend he can imagine, for putting up with this sort of nosiness during the times that they’re both in New York.

Charles knows that Jean is bringing a date, but he rather expects Erik to handle it better than to be predisposed to dislike this new guy.

Obviously not.

Erik’s not a jealous man --they wouldn’t have been able to be so open with each other if he was-- but perhaps that jealousy doesn’t apply to Charles; only to Jean.

Jean, who they were equally responsible for in her sexual awakening.

 _There’s no need to worry about Jean’s beau. He’s a nice enough boy,_ Charles sends as they move into the reception.

Erik shakes off Charles’ assessment and walks over to get them both something to drink. Charles hangs off to the side, out of the paths of everyone else walking around, knowing that Erik will find him when the drinks have been poured.

As if Charles imagines that the night will get worse, Jean walks up to Charles, arm in arm with a young man wearing red-tinted glasses.

“Professor,” she says.

“Jean, we’ve been over this. You’re welcome to call me Charles now,” he replies, stretching his hand out and waiting for the young man to shake it.

“I know,” she says sheepishly, “but I thought it better to use your title when introducing Scott, my boyfriend.”

Scott does shake Charles’ hand now before he says, “Jean has said so much about you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

 _Does he know about us?_ Charles asks.

_No, and I’d like to keep it that way._

“The pleasure is all mine, Scott. So tell me about yourself,” he starts, to avoid having to get into the complicated nature of Charles’ and Jean’s relationship.

Scott is happy to talk about how he met Jean at the mutant community center just south of campus and just as he’s about to finish telling about his work with troubled mutants, Erik walks back, drinks in hand.

“Here you are Charles,” Erik says as he hands over a tumbler full of scotch. “Jean, good to see you again,” Erik adds, as if they haven’t seen each other in months rather than just last month before Scott entered her universe.

“It’s nice to see you,” Jeans says. “This is Scott, my boyfriend.”

Erik just nods, which is too rude for even Charles to suffer through. _Be nice to them. Or I’m not interested in anything tonight._

“How nice to meet you Scott,” Erik says before he pauses. Charles rather hopes that he’s just thinking of something polite to say, following with, “You work with the MYC. How did you get involved there?”

Charles smiles, sips his drink and listens to Scott’s rather dull story of working with the MYC. It is looking like a rather long evening with the department.

-

“He doesn’t deserve her,” is the first thing Erik says as soon as they’re safely back inside Charles’ apartment.

“Oh just stop, Erik. You won’t like anyone she chooses. Admit it.”

“I will not. He’s just so _boring_. She doesn’t need boring.”

“That may be true, but she needs to figure that out herself. We’ve already been there to help her understand herself as a sexual being, but we can’t act as if we’re her overbearing fathers.”

Erik just huffs in annoyance at Charles’ words, which is par for the course when they disagree.

“I know you don’t like it, but we’re not to interfere. Just let it drop.”

“I don’t want to let it drop.”

“Well, unless Jean figures out that Scott’s not worth her time in the next two weeks, you’ll just have to listen to me talk about them until there’s no ‘them’ to talk about.”

Charles rather wishes that Erik were staying for longer, but he has another building to oversee in Chicago for the next month.

“He’s just--” Erik starts again.

“Stop it. You can’t change her mind about this. We’ve got to accept that Jean is making a decision that doesn’t involve us.”

“Fine,” Erik concedes.

“But you were very good at the reception, aside from Scott, so let me make it up to you.” Charles knows he has a sly grin on his face, and he knows that Erik will follow the line of thought.

Sometimes it’s rather difficult with Jean now in someone else’s bed and Erik more often away than at home, but for a few weeks, Charles wants to enjoy what he can do with Erik.

Erik doesn’t need to be told twice, and so he starts to walk to the bedroom, Erik’s mind leaving behind the reception for something far more pleasant.

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to my betas for their help.


End file.
